If you had train-tracks as a teen and still have nightmares about the monthly check-ups where you had your wires tightened and couldn’t eat for days, you’re probably a teeny bit bitter about the new style of invisible braces that can be easily clicked in and out of place.

But new dentistry company Your Smile Direct is probably going to induce a whole other level of envy thanks to its new DIY braces.

The brainchild of Graham Byrne, Your Smile Direct is essentially a DIY service where you take your own dental impressions, submit the results and then receive a bespoke brace, tailored to you, by post.

The Your Smile Direct Home Impression Kit

You fit the brace yourself, and instead of attending the orthodontist to chart your progress, receive new braces every two to four weeks as you need them.

The whole process takes between four to six months and seems pretty foolproof. Plus, it’s 75% cheaper than other invisible braces on the market. So what’s the catch?

‘I went through the process of being a parent of two children getting braces and it’s a very flawed structure, so I started to think about how it could be done more efficiently,’ explains Byrne.

‘Orthodontics is really broad and we can’t help everyone but the huge appeal of our system is that it’s really difficult to make this go horrible wrong. We’ve had to make sure it is foolproof.’

A client’s before shot

The company first ask prospective clients to take photos of their teeth so the team can determine whether they are suitable for invisible braces. This is a free consultation service, of sorts.

If they appear to be suitable, clients can then buy a Home Impression Kit which costs €49. But if they are deemed unsuitable, they will receive a voucher which can be redeemed with a local practitioner.

Graham explains: ‘If we can’t perform the right form of treatment, we ask that person to go to a local practitioner who we’ve partnered with. Or if you require an extraction, we send you to one.’

A client’s after shot

But surely local orthodontists see this kind of DIY service as direct competition?

‘We presumed the industry would be hostile towards this kind of system but it’s had a fantastic response.’

The braces are almost invisible when placed on the teeth

Having already launched in the UK, the company say that at the moment their client base is 75% women, aged between 30 and 45. But they hope to entice more males into improving their smiles.

‘So many men are scared to go to the dentist,’ Barry suggests. ‘With Your Smily Direct, they don’t have to physically go, but are still getting the same kind of professional care, so we’re expecting an increase in male customers over the next couple of months.’

Tom Cruise has worn braces over the years to correct his smile

Costs for the treatment are €95 for impressions and orthodontic evaluation, €1,199 for a full upper and lower cosmetic brace system with 24/7 customer care, and €49 for the

professional tooth whitening system which is recommended at the end of treatment.